Basket for a washing machine



Dec. 20, 1956 1 BOCHAN 3,292,398

BASKET FOR A WASHING MACHINE Filed Sept. 25, 1.96/4

l 34 ii- INVENTOR.' IOHN BOCM@ k-HS ATTORNEY United States Patent Office 3,292,398 Patented Dec. 20, 1966 3,292,398 BASKET FOR A WASHING MACHINE .lohn Bochan, Louisville, Ky., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Sept. 25, 1964, Ser. No. 399,133 1 Claim. (Cl. 68-152) My invention relates to an improved automatic fabric washing machine and, more particularly, to an improved basket for use in such a machine.

Automatic fabric washing machines wash fabrics by causing relative motion between the various portions of the fabrics and between the fabrics and the liquid in which they are immersed. One mechanism for accomplishing this washing action utilizes a unitary basket which is wobbled to cause the relative motion between the liquid and the fabrics contained therein. Such wobble washers impart two types of motion to the fabrics being washed. The first component is a toroidal motion in which the fabrics tend to move outwardly through the lower portion of the basket, upwardly adjacent the outer wall of the basket, inwardly through the upper portion of the liquid in the basket and downwardly adjacent the center portion of the basket. The second component of motion is circular, i.e., the fabrics tend to progress circumferentially around the basket. Thus the composite motion of the fabrics is such that they tend to move in a spiral pattern within the basket. This motion provides good washing action on the fabrics; however, it tends to cause large items, such as sheets, to spread across the entire upper surface of the washing liquid and then draws them downwardly to mule the washing action. In prior art wobble washers this problem was solved by extending the inner portion of the curved lower wall of the basket upwardly to a point above, or at least equal to, the level of liquid in the basket. This structure was effective because the prior art baskets were designed to wash relatively small loads (that is of a maximum of about 8 pounds). For this reason the vertical height of the basket was small compared to the diameter, which resulted in very little vertical movement of the fabrics within the basket.

The present trend in automatic washers is to provide mechanisms which are capable of washing large loads (that is at least 14-15 pounds). I have found that to effectively wash loads of this size in a wobble washer it is highly desirable to construct the basket so that its height is large compared to its diameter. With such a construction the frusto-conical centerpost formed by extending upwardly the curved portion of the lower wall of the basket, as utilized in prior art wobble washers, is unworkable. This results from the fact that the higher basket construction causes the fabrics to move substantial distances in the vertical direction along both the radially inward portion and radially outward portion of the basket. Should a large item, such as a sheet or towel, reach the radially inward portion of the basket it will tend to wrap around the centerpost and its free ends will becomeV interwoven with each other. The downward portion of the toroidal movement of the fabrics will then cause this large item to move downwardly through the liquid as aring until it'reaches the lower portion of the basket where the outward portion of the toroidal movement will cause the item to disengage from itself and move outwardly. If a frusto-conical centerpost is utilized, the large item will engage the centerpost while it is still in its ring-like conguration and the downward force exerted on the item will tend torcause it to become securely bound onto the post. Because of this action a large body of fabrics may become bound to the centerpost so that the washing action is eectively nullified and the fabrics are not adequately cleaned.

I have found that by making the centerpost cylindrical in shape and extending it upwardly within the basket from the curved lower wall to a point at least even with the level of water in the basket the large items will be prevented from spreading over the upper surface of the washing liquid and will be prevented from becoming bound on the centerpost.

Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to provide an improved basket for use in au automatic washer.

More particularly, it is an object of my invention to provide an improved basket for use in automatic washing machines which efect washing of fabrics by movement of the basket.

In one form of my invention, I provide a washing machine having a container including a tub for receiving liquid and a perforated basket within the tub for receiving fabrics to be washed in the liquid. The basket is eccentrically mounted on the upper end of a drive shaft which extends upwardly within the tub. Means is prof vided for holding the basket and means is provided for rotating the drive shaft so that the basket will be caused to execute a wobble motion for washing fabrics received in the basket. As an important aspect of my invention I provide the basket with a curved lower wall, an upwardly extending cylindrical outer wall and a cylindrical centerpost which extends upwardly within the basket to a point above, or at least even with, the level of liquid in the basket and tub.

The subject matter which I regard as my invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims which form the concluding portion of this speciication. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further advantages thereof may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

The ligure of the drawing is a partial side elevational view of a fabric washing machine which includes one embodiment of my improved structure, the view being partly broken away and partially in section to illustrate details.

Referring now to the ligure, there is shown an automatic fabric washing machine 10 having a basket 11 to receive fabrics to be washed. The basket 11 includes an upwardly extending, generally cylindrical outer wall 12, a curved lower wall 13 and a cylindrical centerpost 14. The basket 11 is provided over a portion of its outer wall with perforations 15 and, adjacent the upper end of outer wall 12, with perforations 16. Additionally, a row of perforations 17 may be provided in outer wall 12 between perforations 15 and perforations 16 if desired.V

Lower wall 13 is provided with perforations 18 and vanes 19 extend across lower wall 13 and partially up outer wall 12 to a point just below the row of perforations 15.l

The basket is disposed within an outer imperforate tub 20 which also forms an appearance cabinet. The tub 20 includes upwardly extending side walls 21, a bottorn wall 22 and an upper wall 23. A cover 24 is hingedly mounted on the upper wall 23 to provide access through an opening 25 to the basket 11. The basket 11 is mounted for both a wobble-type motion and for a spin or centrifugal extraction type motion. To this end centerpost 14 is rotatably mounted on the upper portion 26 of a drive shaft 27 which extends upwardly within tub 20 throughan opening 28 in bottom wall 22. The upper end 26 of drive shaft 27 is offset or canted relative to the remainder of the shaft, which is disposed generally A generally cylindrical sleeve or spin shaft vertically. 29 extends upwardly within tub 20 around drive shaft 27 and the upper end of sleeve 29 is connected to the centerpost ofthe basket.

The drive shaft 27 -and sleeve 29 are connected by a clutch mechanism generally indicated at 30 which is mounted on a pedestal 31. The lower end of pedestal 31 is mounted on the bottom wall 22 of tub 20 by means of a number of bolts 32 and a gasket 33 is secured between the pedestals 31 and bottom wall 32 to seal the opening 28 so that liquid will not escape from the tub 20. A motor 34 is connected to the drive shaft 27 through a system including a pulley 35 and belt 36. The clutch mechanism functions so that when motor 34 is rotated in one direction the drive shaft 27 is rotated While the sleeve or spin shaft 29 is held stationary to impart a wobble motion to the basket. Conversely, when motor 34 is driven in the opposite direction, the drive shaft and spin shaft are rotated together in order to spin the basket 11 at high speed for centrifugal liquid extraction. While only a portion of the basket mounting arrangement and clutch mechanism have been shown, a mounting arrangement and clutch mechanism suitable for use in my improved washer are more fully shown and described in application Serial No. 399,158 filed concurrently herewith in the names of John Bochan and Eugene A. Pottinger and assigned to General Electric Company, assignee of the present invention.

In addition to operating the drive shaft 27, motor 34 provides a direct drive through a resilient member 37 to a pump structure 38. The pump 38 has an inlet which is connected to the interior of the tub 20 and a pair of outlets 39 and 40. Outlet 39 is connected by suitable conduit (not shown) to the upper portion of tub 20 while outlet 40 is connected by a suitable conduit (not shown) to a drain. Thus, when motor 34 is operated in a first or wash direction pump 38 is effective to withdraw liquid from the tub and discharge it through outlet 39 so that it may be returned to the tub through a suitable filter arrangement (not shown). Conversely when the motor 34 is operated in the second or extraction direction of rotation ypump 3S withdraws liquid from tub 20 and discharges it through outlet 40 to drain.

Other conventional elements such as a water supply system for providing hot and cold watervto the machine and a water level control arrangement are provided so that a predetermined amount of Water of a proper temperature may be provided to the machine. Such elements are well known in the art and do not form a part of my invention. They have, therefore, been omitted from the FIGURE for ease of illustration.

A control panel 41, which may also be referred to as a backsplasher, is mounted on upper wall 23 of tub 20 and may have suitable manually operated members such as that shown at 42. Member 42 may be used to control,

for instance, water temperature, water level within tub 20 and basket 11, etc., and for initiating a cycle of operation ofthe machine.

In order to wash a load of fabrics such as clothes cover 24 is opened and the fabrics are inserted into basket 11 through opening 25. Basket 11 is so sized that, when a large load of about 15 pounds of mixed clothes is inserted into the basket, the volume of the dry clothes will be large enough so as to just fill the basket. By extending substantially to the top of the basket centerpost 14 insures that no large items such (as a sheet or bath towel) is caused to extend entirely across the basket during the loading process.

When the desired amount of clothes or other fabrics have been inserted into the basket the cover 24 is closed and member 42 is rotated to initiate a cycle of operation. First, water of a predetermined temperature is fed into the machine until the correct amount is reached and a suitable detergent or other cleaning agent is added. Then motor 34 is rotated in the first or wash direction to rotate shaft 27 while sleeve 29 is being held stationary so that the basket 11 is caused to wobble. At the same time motor 34 drives pump 38 in a first direction to recirculate liquid through the filter arrangement. As this washing action continues the clothes or other fabrics become wet and their volume is reduced so that as soon as all the fabrics are wet the fabrics and liquid within the basket rise just to the level of perforations 15, thus perforations 15 drain liquid from basket 11 into tub 20 during the washing operation. Also, during the washing operation, the perforations 18 serve to discharge from basket 11 heavy particles of dirt or soil which have been removed from the fabrics.

During the Washing operation the wobble' motion of the basket causes the fabrics to execute a spiral type movement. This movement has two components, the first of which is a toroidal movement in which the fabrics tend to move radially outwardly through the lower portion of basket 11, upwardly adjacent outer Wall 12, radially inwardly through the upper portion of the liquid and downwardly adjacent centerpost 14. The second component of the movement of the clothes is circular, i.e., the clothes or other fabrics tend to move circumferentially around the basket. at least to the level of liquid within basket 11 (in the embodiment shown extending substantially above this level) it prevents the washing action from causing a large item such as a sheet or towel from being extended across substantially the entire surface ofthe Washing liquid. If this were to happen the downward movement along the radially inward portion of the basket would cause the large items to be pulled directly downward so as to muflie the washing action of the machine. Also, since the outer surface of centerpost 14 is cylindrical in shape until it joins the lower wall 13, at which point the washing action is causing the fabrics to tend to move outwardly, the centerpost prevents large items from binding onto the post so as to cause a large mass of clothes to form at the center of the basket, which would also nullify the washing action of the machine.

At the conclusion of the washing step motor 34 is reversed so as to rotate shaft 27 and sleeve 29 together in the opposite direction to cause the basket to rotate or spin at high speed for centrifugally extracting the liquid from the fabrics in the basket. extraction operation the liquid within the basket is forced upwardly along outer wall 12 and flows outwardly through perforations 16 so that it drains into tub 20 from which it is removed by pump 38 and discharged to drain through outlet 40. Since basket 11 is mounted on the canted upper poriton 26 of sleeve 27, the basket remains tilted during the spin operation. Therefore, pockets of liquid may tend to form within the basket and not be forced upwardly to perforations 16. In order to eliminate -these pockets of liquid the additional row of perforations 17 is provided, thus insuring complete extraction of liquid during the spin operation.

The agitation and spin operations may be repeated without the addition of detergent or other cleaning agent to provide a rinse. I have thus provided an improved Washing machine in which the new and improved configuration of the centerpost of the basket enhances the washing action of the machine by preventing a large item from extending substantially across the surface of the Washing liquid to muiile the action and by preventing a mass of fabrics from becoming firmly bound around the centerpost.

While in accordance with the patent statutes I have t Since centerpost 14 extends4 During the centrifugal What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A washing machine comprising: (a) a basket to receive liquid and fabrics to be washed in the liquid, said basket including a generally cylindrical outer wall, a cylindrical centerpost and a curved lower wall joining said outer wall and said centerpost;

(b) said centerpost extending upwardly within said basket at least to the level of liquid in said basket;

(c) said lower wall including vanes formed therein and extending at least to the juncture of said lower wall and said centerpost;

(d) drive means connected to said basket for moving said basket t0 eiect washing of the fabrics in the liquid, movement of `said basket causing the fabrics to move downwardly through the radially inward portion of said basket and to move outwardly through the lower portion of said basket past said vanes,

(e) said centerpost, by extending upwardly to said level preventing the movement of said basket from extending the fabrics completely across said basket and, by its cylindrical configuration, preventing the binding of fabrics onto said centerpost.

References Cited by the Examiner WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner.

I. BUNEVICH, Examiner. 

